After their conversation, Anand made it a point to review his plans with his friends before training. He’d do his best to communicate any changes in the middle of training and explain why. The biggest problem was how awkward it was to explain a plan for such small scale simulations. Even with the changes, Team Goldilocks had outgrown the holographic board game but weren’t sure what to do. They weren’t sure how to bring it up with Team Lucky. Luckily, they didn’t have to.

“Today, you’re all getting in the eggs!” Tori said excitedly as Team Goldilocks entered the lounge.

“I’m afraid to ask what you’re talking about,” Anand said.

“Virtual reality simulations,” Boss explained. “Anand, Ray, Eve. You have all met our expectations and we are moving forward in your training with the Glaives.”

“Please don’t scream, again,” Conrad added from where he was relaxing.

“What brought this up?” Anand asked.

“We noticed you all have been working on your planning and execution,” Boss explained. “There’s only so much you can do when you’re using — what is effectively — a board game. Thus, we are moving onto VR simulations. The biggest difference is that you will be face-to-face with Oghrodi replicas. You will need to battle them as though they were real. There will be no victories from a single clever move. Am I clear?” Boss asked and raised an eyebrow at Anand.

“Right,” Anand said and blushed.

“Good. Another important note, you will feel physical stimuli within the simulations. Whether it’s wind on your skin or an Oghrodi’s attacks. There will be sensory feedback. We have limited how much damage you can withstand before you are kicked out of the system. As your pain threshold rises, so will the limiter for the system.”

He waited for any questions and then walked to a locked door behind the kitchen. Anand had always assumed it was a closet. He was shocked to see a large room instead. Inside were six egg shaped simulation pods. They were arranged with three against each wall, facing each other. The front doors sat ajar, revealing a multitude of displays covering the inner surface. They fully surrounded a long chair that seemed to float in the middle. The other half of the room was occupied by a control console where Tori situated herself.

“And obviously, we don’t expect you to fight Oghrodi bare handed,” Tori said. “In those eggs, you’ll be able to equip your Glaives.”

“What’s the command?” Ray asked excitedly.

“Unsheath,” Anand answered. “But why only in the simulation?”

“I haven’t unlocked the feature in your Collars. We want you to get used to them first.” Tori said.

Anand wanted to argue that he was already used to it but knew that was a lie. Without hesitation he sat in one of the pods and waited. Eve calmly followed suit. Ray excitedly leapt into his. The pod doors closed and Tori’s voice played through speakers inside.

“You’re all going to be locked in place,” she explained. “Don’t freak out. Once the simulation starts you won’t even notice.”

Anand felt a chill run through his body. Trying to twitch his fingers was pointless. The lights within the pod began to brighten. A series of displays flashed in front of Anand. He couldn’t look away. He tried to shut his eyes to keep from being dazed but was unable to. All the screens glowed and surrounded Anand in a sea of white. Before he could get his bearings in the nothingness, he found himself standing in the middle of a city. To his left was Eve, equally confused. To his right was Ray, kicking the gravel near his feet.

“Can you all hear me?” Tori asked. Her voice seemed to carry on the breeze.

“Loud and clear,” Eve confirmed.

“Good. Like Boss said, during simulations your nerves will feel everything that happens to them. Even something as innocuous as wind.”

On command, wind blew through the city. Anand expected the artificial feeling of a fan. Surprisingly, he felt a warm caress around his body as the wind passed over.

“Oghrodi attacks will be nowhere near as pleasant,” Boss said. “As I mentioned, we’ve set the system to kick you out if the pain bypasses a certain threshold. We don’t want anyone getting traumatized but this is the only way to train in situations similar to a rift opening. Any other questions?”

“No,” Anand replied.

“Are you ready?” Tori asked.

“Unsheath!” Ray yelled before anyone else could respond.

His cybernetic arm let out a musical tone before a mechanical voice said, “Initialize Glaive!”

Multiple ports of Ray’s arm opened and silver metallic liquid poured out. It quickly engulfed his body. Ray took a deep breath when the liquid reached his face. It covered him entirely and ballooned at points. The liquid darkened to a jet black as it solidified. Certain parts looked like they were superheated, shining a bright red.

Ray’s feet were covered with heavy boots which matched the large chestplate that protected his entire torso. A portion of the armor jutted out and blocked the bottom of his face. His arms were covered in gauntlets while his right shoulder had a large flat pauldron attached to it. The liquid that had engulfed Ray’s face expanded and took an angular shape. An upside down triangular visor covered his eyes, with red metal framing them. The metal ended at a point at his chin before curving back around his head. Above the visor was a large horn resembling that of a triceratops. Two smaller horns protruded from the top of either side of Ray’s head, completing the animalistic feature.

JP had taught them about the use of nanotech and hybridized metals that allowed for Glaives to emerge from something as small as a Collar. It was still astounding to see just how much armor could appear from a single arm.

As Ray completed his transformation, the mechanical voice returned. “Incinerate the enemy! Scorch!” it declared.

Ray posed heroically and asked, “How does it look? Please, tell me it’s cool.”

“It’s very cool.” Eve chuckled. “But what was that sound?”

“It’s my Glaive jingle! Tori and I made one for each of us.”

“Follow up question: why?”

“Either I had to get you guys to agree to shouting out transformations or get the Glaive jingles. I went with the easier option,” Ray said.

Eve turned to Anand who shook his head. He knew there was no changing Ray’s mind about this.

Eve sighed and nodded, “Different question then: why do you only have one pauldron?”

“It’s my shield!” Ray said excitedly and made a punching motion towards the ground.

The pauldron folded outward while sliding down his arm. When fully formed, it stood taller than Scorch. The amount of metal presented was far more than in the pauldron. Anand had thought he fully understood what nanotech could do but was clearly mistaken. There was an unexpected amount reserved within Ray’s Glaive just for his shield. Even more intriguing were the intricate circular openings that lined the shield’s perimeter. Anand never knew a shield could look so imposing.

“That’s a lot handier than lugging around a weapon all the time,” Anand said while tracing his finger along the shield.

“That’s not all,” Ray replied as he reverted the shield into its pauldron form. He grabbed a small rod from his right hip and connected it to his right palm. They clicked together and Ray pulled the rod back, drawing a longsword from within his cybernetic arm. He flourished it and struck a pose. “Awesome, am I right?”

“Is that… always inside your arm?” Eve asked.

“Yes, but the ability to draw it is locked in his Glaive form,” Tori answered.

“Oh, thank god.”

“To be fair, he’s not the type to swing it around willy-nilly,” Anand said. “Right, Ray?”

Ray immediately proved Anand wrong as he danced around the street swinging his blade.

Anand sighed. “Nevermind.”

Ray noticed the others watching him and stopped. “So, who’s next?” he asked.

Before Anand could say anything, Eve piped up.

“Quick question, do I need to hold my breath when the nanotech covers my face?” she asked.

“No,” Boss answered. “I do, however, recommend keeping your mouth shut. Nanotech has a displeasing taste.”

“Got it,” Eve said confidently. “Unsheath.”

“Initialize Glaive,” the mechanical voice declared.

Eve’s studded choker melted completely as liquid metal engulfed her body. Thin metal plating wreathed her limbs and upper torso. The majority of the armor was a faint gray with yellow metal plating. Her arms were covered by intricate metal bracers. Her helmet had a large spherical visor that covered the front of her face. It was framed by yellow plating that continued around her head in a hoodlike shape.

The mechanical voice returned. “Light up the sky! Horus!”

“Is it just mine or are Glaives lighter than I expected?” Eve asked while spinning in place.

“For sure,” Ray replied while hopping in place. “By the way, what’s that glowy thing?”

Eve slowly moved her arm while examining a golden light emitting from her wrist. It took the shape of a handgun and she gripped it.

“Is that hard-light?” Anand asked in shock.

“You know it,” Eve replied. Even with her head covered, Anand could tell she was smirking.

She continued to emit light on the gun until it took the form of a rifle. She flourished it and looked down the sight before it shattered into fluorescent pieces.

“Perfect.”

“What good are those in a melee fight?” Ray asked.

“I can also make swords and stuff,” Eve answered while emitting a hologram of a sword from her wrist. “But you know I prefer long range. Not to mention, I can cloak myself,” Eve said and vanished from sight.

Ray gasped and reached out slowly. “Whoa! You still there?”

“You always cloak in our strategy simulations but I never imagined what it’d look like; or rather what it wouldn’t look like,” Anand said. He didn’t bother trying to find Eve.

“It’s pretty frickin’ cool, right?” she said while appearing behind Ray who jumped away. “Okay, now you can go, Anand.”

He took a deep breath. It wasn’t what he’d expected but it was finally time to don a Glaive. His Glaive. He was hyper aware of everything around him. Tori was simulating dreary weather in the decrepit city. The air was stale and whistled softly. The shifting gravel sounded like a rhythmic drum. And the pounding in his ears completed the scarce orchestra.

Anand opened his eyes wide and exhaled.

“Unsheath.”

The sound of the mechanical voice was louder in his ears. “Initialize Glaive!”

Anand watched his extremities as his glasses melted and a metallic liquid engulfed his face and body. Immediately, the process seemed more refined than the prototype. The liquid felt cold against his skin as it crawled over him. It seemed to soak into his clothes while simultaneously hardening into the armor. His upper torso was covered in a blue and white chest-piece which interlocked with small pauldrons on his shoulders. He had slightly more armor than Eve. Its thickness wouldn’t encumber him and its thinness wouldn’t be a detriment to melee combat. Thin plating from his forearms connected to metallic fists. The armor plating covering his legs broke apart near the knees to allow for mobility. A layer of metal lay on top of each boot, resembling overlaid laces. His head was covered with smooth plating that wrapped it in a sphere of blue and white. It looked like a chunk had been torn off the helmet where the electric blue visor was. It resembled a large triangular domino mask that jutted off the sides.

“Faster than lightning! Volt!” The mechanical voice roared.

“So, this is what it’s like to have peripheral vision.” Anand chuckled.

He looked at his hand. The pads and tips of his fingers were covered with small hexagons. Upon making a fist, electricity visibly danced across his padded knuckles. A message appeared on his HUD; DANGER: HIGH VOLTAGE.

“Whoa!” Ray exclaimed while looking at Anand’s fist. “There’s lightning!”

“It’s electricity, right?” Eve asked.

“Yeah,” Anand replied.

“It's an electric charge,” Tori explained. “It’s stronger than an average shock. It’s so strong, in fact, that it creates a physical, albeit short-lived, manifestation of the electricity.”

“I repeat. Whoa!” Ray said excitedly.

Eve nudged Anand and asked, “So, why’d you go with Volt?”

“Uh… about that…” Anand replied. He was really glad his friends couldn’t see his blushing face. “I considered doing what you did and naming my Glaive after a god. But I’d feel weird telling people to call me that. And I don’t know about comics like Ray so I couldn’t think of a name. I did some research about words related to electricity. I wanted to sound like a superhero and decided on Volt. I… think it’s… cool,” Anand replied, getting quieter with each word.

He couldn’t see Ray and Eve’s faces but something told him they were smiling.

“It’s very cool,” Eve said.

Ray nodded. “It suits you. Your Glaive, I mean. The design’s so plain but it’s hiding so much cool stuff.”

“It doesn’t have to be flashy like some people’s,” Eve said and poked Ray’s helmet.

“I think this is plenty flashy for me,” Anand said with a deep sigh. “Boss, can you spawn an Oghrodi for us to see?”

“It’s already in the world. I will now start the mission,” Boss said dryly. “I should mention, you are not simply searching for the Oghrodi. You must defeat it. Good luck.”

Anand instinctively started moving. He made sure to signal Ray and Eve to follow him into a nearby building.

“Of course, he’d drop us right into the middle of the city,” Anand said. “No advantage in sight.”

Ray muttered, “It’s like that day in Madison.”

“I think that’s the point,” Eve chimed in. “You guys have dealt with an Oghrodi in a city before. It’s new for me.”

Anand nodded silently and kneaded his fists. He was focused and started planning immediately. He took a deep breath and slowly stated what he was thinking.

“Let’s stick together,” he said. “Ray, you lead with your sword and shield at the ready. I’ll follow a few yards behind you. Eve, you follow at a comfortable distance behind me. No matter who the Oghrodi encounters, the others will be able to reach it easily.”

“Not if it finds me first,” Eve said. “I can reach you guys with my range but if I get caught, the best I can do is stall. I’m worried it’ll be fast enough to take me out.”

“Trust me, I’ll be there so we can outnumber it. Once Ray gets to us, we’ll overpower it.”

“Okay,” Eve replied. She didn’t sound confident in Anand’s solution.

“Alright, start up voice comms. Ray, lead the way.”

Ray nodded and brandished his weapons while stepping out of the building. He cocked his head and looked around before continuing forward.

“It looks like this place was hit by a Riftwalker, not the Oghrodi itself,” he said.

“Aren’t they the same thing?” Eve asked while watching their backs.

“I don’t know. But the words make them easier to differentiate.”

Anand interjected. “Guys, can we discuss this later? Listen for the target.”

They turned around a building and walked forward onto a bridge. Ray took careful steps as he peered side to side. Once he got across, he hopped over the railing and dropped to the street below. A loud screech pierced the air as he broke Anand’s line of sight.

Anand shouted, “Ray, you still there?”

“Yeah! Get down here! Please!” Ray yelled back.

Anand and Eve leapt down to see a hulking beast gripping Ray’s shield. The Oghrodi looked nothing like the demonic human they’d seen before. Anand couldn’t figure out what exactly it resembled. Only one thing was apparent; the Oghrodi was massive.

“It’s way bigger than the pictures make it look,” he said.

He charged lightning into his fist and swung at the Oghrodi’s claws. It quickly released Ray’s shield before dodging backwards.

“You’re telling me!” Ray replied, catching his breath.

As he rambled, a beam of light flew by. The glowing bullet exploded upon hitting the Oghrodi’s leg.

“You guys didn’t see this before?” Eve asked calmly. “I guess I was never this close either. This dude’s definitely bigger than the last one.”

“It’s almost ten feet tall!” Ray said while charging at the beast. “I’ll try to knock it down!”

The beast quickly recovered. With a single jump it flew over Ray and Anand. Eve created a handgun and fired a shot at the Oghrodi’s torso. The creature spun in the air. It was unfazed by the bullet grazing its arm. Upon landing, it swiped at Eve, scratching her armor and throwing her back.

Anand muttered, “Treads.”

The metal plates atop his boots broke apart. The pieces shifted to his soles and clicked into place. They spun rapidly and propelled Anand forward with a trail of lightning following a few inches behind him. The sparks disappeared the further they were from Anand. Within seconds he was between the beast and Eve. Anand blocked the incoming claws with one arm and punched with the other. Lightning erupted from his knuckle as it made contact with the claws. The blast was much stronger than before. The claw was torn apart and Anand’s arm recoiled from the force. The creature took the opportunity to swipe at Anand again. Ray stopped it by tackling from behind.

“I’m glad I made it,” Anand said. “Eve, you good?”

“Yeah,” she replied and brandished her rifle.

The chaos of battle was completely different than what they were used to. What Eve assumed would be a clean shot was anything but. Ray and Anand unintentionally blocked her view as they fought. Eve hesitated and the Oghrodi easily overpowered Ray. It slammed his head against the ground before winding up for another punch. It pummeled Ray until his body exploded into a mess of polygons.

“Dammit, Ray’s out,” Anand grumbled. “Eve, you good?”

“I think so,” she replied. She found an opening but before she fired, the Oghrodi was upon her.

“Why is the simulation still going?” Anand screamed towards the sky.

The sound of metal being sliced pierced the air. Anand only saw the aftermath of the attack. Eve’s exploded polygons surrounded the Oghrodi’s arm. The beast slowly turned to face its final target. Without hesitation Anand dashed away. The closest place to hide was a small convenience store. Anand jumped through the broken window. Shattered glass was strewn across the floor. He hid behind a shelf, listening for the beast as it followed him. He didn't dare peek out. Instead, Anand watched reflections in the shelves for movement.

The Oghrodi sniffed the air near the building. It crept through the window, crunching glass underfoot. A chill ran down Anand’s spine. He could feel his goosebumps against the inside of Volt.

“Focus, Anand,” he muttered. “You’ve got this.”

Using the sound of breaking glass, Anand tracked the Oghrodi. In the reflection of a pillar he saw the undamaged claw. It rested against a shelf mere inches away from Anand's head. He took a deep breath and swung at the beast’s arm. It was caught by surprise and unable to react. The wild swing wasn't strong but the electric shock still burned the Oghrodi's arm. It screeched and headbutted Anand. His head shook violently from the hit. Even with his Glaive, Anand’s vision was blurred. It took him a second to refocus and see the beast's open maw. Rows of jagged teeth threatened to pierce through Anand’s helmet. He steadied his breath. With as much force as possible, he kicked the bottom of the creature’s jaw. It was slammed shut and the beast stumbled back.

Anand’s mind went blank as his instincts kicked in. He skated forward. With a swift tackle, he knocked down the Oghrodi. Lightning wreathed around his fist. He savagely swung at the creature’s head. Before his punch could make contact the creature vanished. No polygon explosion; no ceremonious death. It just vanished.

Anand looked around in a panic. He heard a faint whir as the world disappeared. The lights dimmed and the door above him opened. He blinked a few times before he saw Ray and Eve standing over him.

“Are you guys okay?” he asked groggily.

“Yeah. Just a bit sore and a little frazzled,” Eve admitted.

Ray grunted in agreement. “What about you?”

“I’m fine. Almost had it,” Anand said and slowly stepped out of the pod. “I was surprised by what it looked like.”

Boss cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention.

“That was how most Oghrodi appear," he explained. "It’s better that you be surprised now, rather than later. You did well, overall. I was expecting trouble when you transitioned to VR simulated battles.”

“It’s different when we're right there,” Eve replied. “I've never fired my gun in the direction of allies.”

“You need to work together to create and identify openings.”

"Right."

“Let’s take a quick break for now," Boss said and clapped his hands. “Take five minutes to breathe and we’ll try again. I know it is frightening but I wouldn’t push you to do it if I wasn’t sure you would succeed.”

“Yeah,” Anand replied and started to leave the room. “Come on, I’m gonna grab something to drink.”

“What’s on your mind?” Eve asked as they entered the kitchen.

“I could’ve done more. It’s like I forgot my training.”

“What are you talking about? You planned and communicated perfectly.”

“But I fought poorly,” Anand whined.

“Give yourself some credit,” Ray replied. “Your fighting got better as the mission progressed. You were going off instinct at the end there. Wasn’t that what Boss trained you to do?” Ray asked.

“I guess.”

“I take it the first simulation didn’t go as expected,” Alec said while relaxing on the couch.

“Eve and I got clobbered. Anand got pulled out right before he was about to win,” Ray answered nonchalantly while grabbing a snack from the fridge.

“Classic.”

“Any tips to help us succeed?” Eve asked.

“Nope,” Alec replied readily. “I’ve seen how you each learn and adapt. If I tried to instruct you, you’d end up doing things my way instead of your own. Trust yourselves to get over whatever you need to get over.”

“That’s eloquent coming from you,” Anand said while pacing around the room.

“Nah, he’s like that when he teaches,” Eve replied.

“Huh, it’s a nice change of pace.”

Alec rolled his eyes. “Whatever. So, how’d the Glaives feel? I know it was a simulation but it’s pretty similar to how you’ll feel in real life.”

“Surprisingly comfortable,” Ray answered. “It felt like I wasn’t wearing anything while also feeling like I evolved. I was superhuman.”

“Yeah, the Glaives are amazing,” Eve agreed. “Actually, I meant to ask something. Anand, how’d you suddenly move so fast?”

“Roller skates, right?” Ray asked.

Anand nodded. “I haven’t done it since my old pair broke. I had Tori add movable treads to my boots so I can skate around. It’s way faster than I’ve ever gone though, so I need to practice.” Anand stopped pacing and checked his phone before stepping out of the lounge. “Come on, time’s up.”

“He’s really driven, huh,” Eve said while following.

“I’d say that’s one of his strong suits,” Ray replied.

“Looks like you’re all prepared,” Boss said as the recruits rejoined him. “One more thing, remember to refer to each other by your codenames on missions. Your identities need to remain a secret.”

Everyone threw out scattered acknowledgements. Boss helped everyone get situated in their pods as Tori started the simulation. The lights in the pod grew brighter again and Anand found himself in the decrepit city with his friends. They immediately unsheathed their Glaives. Anand was sure he’d never get tired of equipping the Glaive.

“What’s the plan this time?” Eve asked.

“Same formation; be ready to fight. Don’t let your guard down,” Anand explained. “And try not to break line of sight like last time, Ra- Scorch.”

“Yes, sir!” Ray said jokingly. “On that note, look over there. The randomizer did us some good.”

He gestured for the others to join him. Around the corner of a building, in the distance was an Oghrodi. It lurched back and forth while walking down the street. Its claws dragged against the concrete as its hulking mass slowly moved through the city.

“”By the way, you have more access to fire than just your flamethrowers, don’t you?” Anand asked.

Ray nodded. “Yeah, with my sword. But my flamethrowers are the strongest.”

“That’s fine. Use your sword and distract the Oghrodi. I’ll deal with the claws,” Anand commanded. “Wait for my signal to use your flamethrowers and disable him. You didn’t even try to use them last time. Um…” Anand hesitated while staring at Eve. “Horus! I don’t know if we can tell you where the openings will be. Can you-”

“Find them? Yeah. I can do it,” Eve said confidently.

Anand nodded and signalled for Ray to engage. He ran out of cover and towards the Oghrodi. It saw Ray and tried to catch him. Ray’s shield manifested as the claws were about to make contact. After a quick block, Ray leapt out from behind his shield. He drew his sword and it burst into flames. Anand almost panicked but noticed Ray’s calm demeanor.

“Ignition Blade!” he yelled.

He wound up and unleashed a devastating slash at the Oghrodi’s torso. The attack left a gash in the beast’s chest. It stumbled backwards over some debris. Anand wanted so badly to say something but didn’t have a chance. Without thinking the Oghrodi grabbed a loose slab of concrete and threw it at Ray. It tried to disengage.

“Don’t let it get away!” Anand yelled while exiting a nearby building. “Stay on it!”

Ray ran after the Oghrodi. He could barely reach one of the legs with his sword. The beast roared and spun quickly with both claws at the ready. Ray easily blocked again but this time there was no time for either fighter to recuperate. Anand rushed to Ray’s side and kicked the Oghrodi’s wrist. His high-speed treads dug into the beast’s arm. A trail of lightning followed behind and cut through the scar before bursting. The Oghrodi shrieked as its limb was torn off and exploded into polygons.

“Is that how I looked?” Ray asked. “This really is a game. Awesome!”

“Not the time! Fire it up!” Anand exclaimed.

“Right!”

The spheres on Ray’s shield blasted out streams of fire. The Oghrodi gasped and flailed wildy to get away. Its single arm still easily pushed away Anand and Ray. As they regained their footing a shot flew by before piercing through the Oghrodi’s head. The creature paused momentarily before screeching but was silenced by two more bullets. Upon impact of the third, the creature shattered into a brilliant kaleidoscope of polygons. A gong sounded through the city.

“That was much better!” Boss said through the voice channel. It was the first time Team Goldilocks had heard excitement in his voice.

“Eve. I mean, Horus. Where are you?” Ray asked. “That was a great shot.”

“Look down the street and on top of the convenience store,” she replied while climbing down from the roof. “I was able to find openings easily when I had a better view.”

“Looks like Anand isn’t the only one with quick thinking,” Boss said. “And Ray, your immense burst from the sword is far from weak. Anand, you did good commanding your team.”

Anand let out a sigh. He wasn’t expecting a compliment but it was nice.

“That was the first practice mission.” Boss continued. “As you clear more, the pain threshold and difficulty will rise.”

Team Goldilocks gave scattered acknowledgements.

“Good. Now, we can rest some or continue doing simulations. That’s the plan for today.”

Anand turned to ask a question but Ray stopped him.

“Let’s keep going,” Ray said. “What do you say, Horus?”

“No, yeah. For sure,” she replied.

Anand grinned widely, knowing no one could see.

“Boss, start up the next simulation.”